30s

As you reach your late twenties and early thirties, your skin begins to take a downward turn as collagen production starts to slow. It’s about now that you’ll start noticing fine lines, particularly around the eyes and forehead. “The skin starts to thin, especially around the eyes, and the loss of subcutaneous fat pads in the mid-face, under eye hollows and mouth corners start to make us look tired and drawn,” says Catherine. “By the early thirties you’re starting to see the effects of too much sun exposure, so you’ll often have some pigmentation happening as well,” explains Marianna. Your focus should be on hydration, stimulating collagen production and reducing pigmentation.

O Cosmedics Mineral Pro SPF 30+ Tint, $73

“It’s about ageing beautifully, not freezing you in your tracks” Dr Catherine Stone

Vitamin A: If you weren’t using a vitamin A serum in your twenties, it’s time to start now. Depending on your skin type, a stronger vitamin A (retinol) can be introduced but, like all active ingredients, it needs to be introduced slowly. Vitamin A is sensitive to UV light so should only be applied at night. It’s also essential when using vitamin A that you wear sunscreen daily, as skin becomes more UV sensitive.

Ultraceuticals Ultra A Skin Perfecting Serum Concentrate, $175

Vitamin C: The most potent of antioxidants, a vitamin C serum is integral now as it will work to repair the damaged skin cell DNA that results in pigmentation.

1. Lancôme Énergie de Vie Liquid Care, $70. 2. Aspect Extreme C 20, $129.95

Collagen Banking: Just as the name suggests, collagen banking is the process of saving collagen so your body can use it at a later date. This is done through a process of irritating the skin and creating micro wounds, forcing the body to produce a burst of collagen in order to heal itself. The theory is that by building up and replenishing collagen in the skin in your twenties and thirties, you won’t lose as much structural support when you reach your forties and fifties. Although the collagen results are long term, you’ll also notice immediate results in the form of skin rejuvenation, brightness and lift. There are a number of collagen banking treatments available. PRP treatments involve injecting your own blood’s platelets back into the skin, thus increasing collagen production and improving elasticity. Dermal rolling

is also a needling process, utilising an instrument covered in tiny needles which is rolled over the skin, penetrating the first few layers of the epidermis. Dermal rolling is generally used in conjunction with a facial as it aids the penetration of active skincare products. This can also be successful in reducing pigmentation. There are various fractional laser treatments that initiate collagen banking, however many of them involve downtime as your skin recovers. About Face’s Clear and Brilliant is the least invasive of the fractional laser options and can be done during a lunch break. The laser works deep into the skin creating microscopic lesions beneath the surface. “When our skin is damaged it produces collagen tissue which is stronger and firmer than before,” says Marianna. “Over a course of treatments collagen fibres are strengthened and the skin becomes stronger, smoother and firmer with improved texture.”

Dermal fillers: If you’re beginning to notice volume loss through the mid face and chin, dermal fillers will return the plump. The injectable hyaluronic acid gel (the same naturally occurring sugar that provides your skin with volume and hydration) is inserted into key areas wherever more volume is required. “[Dermal fillers] gently restore the lost volume and lift the early signs of ageing through the smile lines and mouth corners,” explains Catherine. They can also be used to soften under eye hollows, helping you look less tired.